James Milner has just a few months remaining on his Liverpool contract and will be free to negotiate a free transfer with clubs abroad from January unless the situation changes.
Some reports last season indicated that his contract was to expire this summer, but that was not the case.
The Reds want to sign him up for an additional 12 months at the very least, with his physical condition showing no signs of deteriorating. Milner is now 33 but still has a number of seasons left in him yet.
Writing for The Athletic, James Pearce has explained, however, that it might not be as simple as some might think.
He wrote in a Q&A session: “The hope is that it gets sorted in the next few months. Milner spoke in pre-season about how he was still waiting for talks to start. He made it clear to the club at the back end of last season that he was keen to stay beyond the summer of 2020.
“It’s a tricky one as he’s a high wage earner having been signed on a free but I really hope they can agree at least a 12-month extension. He’s a model pro and what he gives this team extends far beyond his performances on the pitch.”
Milner will want assurances that he is going to feature a lot, and also that his game time will come from the middle of the pitch, rather than at left-back.
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He is also on a big wage of around £120,000 per week, which is a big commitment for a squad player, though most would argue that his experience is enough to make that a worthwhile investment.
At some point, a move back to Leeds United should they get promoted to the Premier League might be appealing for Milner, but hopefully that isn’t for a couple of years yet.